2013 Legislature Report

Gun Control, Budget Among Issues State Lawmakers Face in 2013 Session

The Georgia General Assembly convenes on Monday, Jan. 14. State Rep. Tom Rice highlights some of the issues lawmakers will deal with this year.

Editor's note: Georgia State Representative Tom Rice (R-Dist. 95) will provide periodic reports during the 40-day legislative session. Here is his first report. On Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, the members and members elect of the Georgia House and Senate will be sworn in at 10 a.m. and thus will begin the 40-day session of the Georgia General Assembly. I am greatly indebted to the voters of House District 95 to allow me to serve again.  It is my desire to hear from the voters on any issue and they can do that simply by going to my web site at www.tomrice.org and keying the contact tab. You can also call my office at 404-656-5912 to voice your opinion or to set up a meeting. The 2013 Session undoubtedly will focus on many issues of concern to the…

• Photos (1)

Rice, Siskin Thank Supporters in State Rep. Race

Norcross voters chose Tom Rice as their representative as the Georgia State Representative for District 95.

From Peachtree Corners Patch Tom Rice, who has served as the State Representative for the Gwinnett cities of Peachtree Corners, Norcross and Berkeley Lake for the past 16 years, was re-elected last week to serve another two years. The vote was 12,851 to 8,855 in favor of Rice, a Peachtree Corners resident, over his opponent Brooke Siskin, also from Peachtree Corners. It was Siskin's first time running for the State Representative seat. "I want to thank the voters of House District 95 for the opportunity to serve them in the Georgia House of Representatives for another term," said Rice.  "I will continue to do my best to represent the values that characterize the great majority of voters in this district." Brooke Siskin, 44, said had she …

• Photos (4)

Voting Results for State, U.S. House Districts in Norcross

Check out the results for the major districts affecting the Norcross area: Georgia State House District 95 and 96, and U.S. House District 4.

Updated, 8:12 a.m. In Tuesday's general election, three races in the Georgia State and U.S. House directly affect the Norcross area. Those districts are Georgia State Representative District 95 seat, the District 96 seat and the U.S. House of Representatives District 4 seat. With all relevant precincts and counties reporting, here are the results so far for the Georgia State and U.S. House of Representatives seats that affect Norcross (* indicates the winner): Georgia State House of Representatives, District 96 Total votes: 12,297 Pedro Marin: 55.08 percent* Mark Williams: 44.92 percent U.S. House of Representatives, District 4 Total votes: 283,304 Henry C. "Hank" Johnson: 73.56 percent* J. Chris Vaughn: 26.44 percent Only one of the two …

• Photos (2)

Q&A: State Rep. Tom Rice on Re-Election Bid

Rice, who is the incumbent for District 95 and seeking re-election, answers questions posed by Patch.

From Peachtree Corners Patch Patch asked Tom Rice, who is seeking re-election to the State Representative District 95 seat which covers Norcross and Peachtree Corners, a series of questions relating to his position on several issues. (Democratic candidate Brooke Siskin is running for the seat currently held by Rice.) NAME: Tom Rice AGE: 72 HOW LONG LIVED IN PEACHTREE CORNERS: 28 years EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: B.S., Temple University FAMILY:  Wife Frances, four married children and 10 grandchildren OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUND: IBM Marketing Management - 30 years; Partner, The Quality Group - nine years; GA State Representative - 16 years HOW LONG HAVE YOU SERVED AS THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR DIST. 95 (FORMERLY DIST. 51)?  I have served 16 …

• Photos (1)

Norcross Elections: State & U.S. House, GCPS School Board

Here's an outline of some of the major races in the Norcross area.

Aside from the local city council race, Norcross has some competitive races in the Nov. 6th election. From school board members to state officials, here's a roundup of some of the major races. Gwinnett County Public School Board: State House of Representatives: U.S. House of Representatives Who are you voting for in the upcoming election? Tell us in the comments. See also: Don’t miss any Norcross news. Subscribe to Norcross Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

•  3 Comments
• Photos (2)

Q&A: Brooke Siskin, Candidate for State Representative

The District 95 candidate answers questions posed by Patch.

Patch asked Brooke Siskin, who is seeking the State Representative for District 95 seat in Norcross and Peachtree Corners, a series of questions relating to her candidacy and her position on several issues. Siskin is running for the seat currently held by Peachtree Corners resident Tom Rice. NAME: Brooke Siskin AGE: 44 HOW LONG LIVED IN PEACHTREE CORNERS: 18 years EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: University of California at Davis, B.A. Public Relations FAMILY: Daughter, Caitlin, 14 years old, freshman at Norcross High School OCCUPATION: Marketing Representative What experience in your background do you think has best prepared you for serving as the State Representative for Dist. 95? Creating and marketing my own small business, has giving me the …

• Photos (1)

New Immigration Law Said to Scare Restaurant Workers

Georgia's restaurant lobby is battling part of a new immigration law that it says is hurting member businesses by scaring away the staff. State Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) agrees that the law is "a huge drain" on the Norcross economy.

Georgia's restaurant lobby is battling a new immigration law that it says is hurting member businesses by scaring away the staff.  State Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) agrees that the law is "a huge drain" on the Norcross economy, but his colleague across the aisle says he's heard no complaints. The Georgia Restaurant Association calculates that some Georgia restaurants are losing $21,000 a month in revenues due to the new state immigration law, Senate Bill 87. That law, passed earlier this year, will eventually require most businesses to check full-time hires' immigration status through the federal E-Verify database. "These losses are being caused by not being able to fully staff restaurants," said GRA Executive Director Karen Bremer.  …

•  13 Comments
• Photos (1)

David Manley

6:03 pm on Friday, November 18, 2011

Even if the State statutes were eliminated, it would still be against the law to hire undocumented workers. Because 375 out of 3000 responded that they had labor shortages, the entire GRA is against enforcement of the immigration law because workers that were hired in violation of the law, and should not have been hired in the first place, are leaving. On the other hand, I do not hear of any …   more ›

In Norcross, Strong Views on Immigration Reform

Rep. Marin calls for the Governor to veto the bill; Rep. Rice says it is the right thing to do for the citizens.

House Bill 87, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act, which would call for businesses with more than 10 workers to verify their citizenship and allow police officers to check the immigration status of suspects, passed on April 14 and now awaits the signature of Gov. Nathan Deal. Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Norcross) and Rep. Pedro Marin (D-Norcross), both voted against the measure, with Marin recently writing to the Governor to call for him to veto the bill. Rep. Tom Rice (R-Norcross) voted for the measure and called claims that the bill could have a deep economic toll “hot air.” According to the legislative record, the bill passed the House 122-59 and the Senate 37-19.  Thompson wrote in a blog post yesterday saying that he thought…

• Photos (3)
• Documents (1)

UPCCA To Hold 'Hot Topics' Meeting Tonight

Community leaders to discuss current topics with Peachtree Corners residents.

Tonight at 7:30 the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association (UPCCA) is holding a meeting at the Christ the King Lutheran Church to provide and discuss important information for Peachtree Corners residents. State Rep. Tom Rice (R-Norcross), Dist. 2 County Commissioner Lynette Howard, School Board Representative Mary Kay Murphy and UPCCA Mike Mason will be on hand to provide updates and answer questions. The meeting agenda for tonight: Meeting time and location: Christ the King Lutheran Church 5575 Peachtree Parkway (next to the Wells Fargo Bank) Tonight, March 28 Time: 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

• Photos (1)

Proposed Peachtree Corners City Borders Draw Criticism

H.B. 396 sets city limits that expand eastward to Buford Highway, which some call “aggressive.”

The legislation presented earlier this year for the unincorporated Gwinnett County area known as Peachtree Corners has moved through the House and reached the Senate for review. When the legislation was presented before the General Assembly as H.B. 396, it contained provisions for customary items such as the election process for a mayor and city council and qualifications for office, among many items. But one item, the proposed city boundaries, has created some concern. The proposed charter for the new City of Peachtree Corners calls for boundaries that extend southward to where Fulton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties intersect. The proposed city limits extend northward to the Fulton-Gwinnett boundary at the Chattahoochee River and up to the …

• Documents (2)